Removable roofs are known for use in conjunction with convertible vehicles including premium vehicles such as the BMW 325 CI, BMW Z3, and as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,146 to Fischbach. Removable hard tops address one drawback of convertible vehicles by providing a durable top for a vehicle during the winter months while the convertible top may be kept in its stowed position protecting it against the elements.
Prior art removable hard tops are normally built on a frame having multiple components to which rigid panels are assembled. In an effort to improve rollover protection, metal roll bars may be incorporated into the removable roof structure or an active roll bar system may be incorporated in other portions of the passenger compartment. Removable tops having a separate frame are expensive to manufacture and are relatively heavy. As vehicles are normally assembled there is a limited amount of twisting and tolerance stack up that can result in variances in vehicle mounting locations that can complicate securing a removable roof to the vehicle.
Styling requirements may limit the space available for hold down clamps used to secure the sides of a removable top to a vehicle. The inclusion of side windows in a removable top imposes substantial limitations on the space available for hold down clamp assemblies. While it is desirable to provide larger, more robust hold down clamp assemblies, space limitations and weight reduction considerations provide challenges in the design of removable vehicle roofs and their associated hold down clamp structures.
These and other problems and challenges are addressed by Applicant's invention as summarized below.